Outside Konoha Ninja Academy.
Naruto sat on a swing, holding his head low, lost in thought. The orange glow of the setting sun stretched his shadow far across the ground, making his small frame seem even more lonely.
In the distance, parents and students gradually left the academy, their cheerful chatter fading as they went home. Yet, even from afar, Naruto could still hear the whispers—cruel, cutting words that pierced deeper than any weapon.
"Don't get too close to that monster at school."
"Graduation is tomorrow. Why hasn't that monster been kicked out yet?"
"I wish that thing would just disappear already..."
"I heard he ruined the Hokage Rock this afternoon. Disgusting little brat."
Those hateful murmurs stung. No one said these things to his face—they didn't even want to look at him. Instead, they whispered behind his back, feeding off each other's contempt.
Naruto buried his head deeper between his arms. His face twisted with sadness and confusion.
Why?
Why did they hate him so much? What had he ever done to deserve this kind of treatment?
No matter how hard he tried to figure it out, he always came up empty. They treated him like a monster, shunning him at every turn, cursing his existence. The more he thought about it, the more unbearable it became—like waves of despair crashing over him.
But just as quickly as the sorrow came, it began to fade. Deep within Naruto's soul, something stirred. It was as if an invisible hand reached out, taking hold of his pain, dragging it down into a dark abyss where it could no longer hurt him.
And just like that, the gloomy thoughts dissolved into nothing. Naruto lifted his head, his fists clenched tight, and shouted with unwavering determination:
"I'll become Hokage one day!"
"And then... you'll all acknowledge me!"
His words echoed into the empty schoolyard, unheard by anyone. But even in the silence, Naruto's resolve burned bright. He smiled, even if no one was watching, because that dream—becoming Hokage—was all he had.
A moment later, the boy's thoughts shifted.
Wait...
"Why isn't Iruka-sensei here yet? Didn't he say I had to clean the Hokage Rock as punishment?" Naruto tilted his head, trying to recall the afternoon's events. "Was he mad because I used the Sexy Jutsu on him?"
Earlier that day, Iruka had been giving a practice exam before the Genin test tomorrow. Naruto, struggling with the standard clone jutsu, had tried to weasel his way through by transforming into his infamous "Sexy Jutsu."
Iruka's nosebleed explosion was glorious. He'd stumbled around, bowing awkwardly, unable to meet anyone's eyes.
Naruto chuckled at the memory.
"Well... if he doesn't show up, I guess I won't have to clean anything."
Despite his words, disappointment flickered across Naruto's face. He may have acted mischievously, but it was only because he craved attention—any attention. Even getting scolded or punished was better than being ignored. At least, when people got mad at him, they noticed him.
Back within Naruto's subconscious, Fengxu observed quietly, piecing things together.
"So, a few whispered insults were enough to release me temporarily?" Fengxu murmured to himself. He had thought it would take a violent emotional outburst to surface. But this was a good sign—it meant that even minor emotional shifts could grant him brief control.
"System, I want to switch personalities," Fengxu commanded, testing his options.
[Personality switching...]
[Ding! Insufficient negative emotion detected. Personality switch failed.]
"As expected." Fengxu wasn't surprised. It was too soon. At best, he could only observe the outside world for now and speak directly to Naruto.
His gaze lingered on Naruto, who was still sitting on the swing.
"So, today's the day he used Sexy Jutsu on Iruka... This must be right before the start of the original story. That means tomorrow night is the Genin graduation test—and the night Naruto steals the Scroll of Seals."
A grin spread across Fengxu's face.
Perfect timing.
This was the ideal point in the story—Naruto was still isolated, with few people he could trust. It was the perfect moment for Fengxu to plant the seeds of doubt and dependence. After all...
"Naruto is me. I am Naruto. If he doesn't trust me, who else can he trust?"
Fengxu's grin faded as he decided it was time to act. Naruto's emotions had already stabilized, meaning Fengxu's window of access was about to close. He needed to make contact now.
"Time to introduce myself."
With that, Fengxu reached out, pressing his presence into Naruto's mind.
Outside world.
Naruto was about to leave the swing when suddenly, a voice echoed in his head.
"Uzumaki Naruto."
The boy froze in place. His eyes widened as he whipped his head around, searching for the source of the voice.
"Who... who said that?!" Naruto demanded.
But no one was there. The empty playground offered no answers. The voice, however, had felt familiar—so eerily familiar that Naruto's heart raced.
The realization hit him like a thunderclap.
It sounded exactly like... me.
A chill ran down Naruto's spine. He shook his head violently, trying to rid himself of the unsettling thought. But no matter how hard he tried, the idea clung stubbornly to his mind.
In a quiet, trembling voice, he muttered, "U-Uzumaki Naruto?"
"Yep. That's me," the voice replied calmly, echoing within his head once more.
Naruto's heart nearly leapt out of his chest.
"AAAAAAH!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"There's a ghost inside my head!!!"
Fengxu: "..."
Naruto sprinted away from the swing, flailing his arms as he yelled at the top of his lungs.
"HELP! IRUKA-SENSEI! UNCLE ICHIRAKU! ANYONE! I'M POSSESSED BY A GHOST!"
Fengxu: "..."
"...I am not a ghost, idiot. I am you!" Fengxu groaned, rubbing his temples. "I'm inside your head, you moron."
Naruto's eyes bulged in horror. "Inside my head?! AAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
Fengxu sighed, realizing that reasoning with Naruto was going to be harder than he thought.
"Fine... You'll understand soon enough."
With a flicker of intent, Fengxu transferred fragments of suppressed memories into Naruto's mind.
Outside, Naruto's frantic steps faltered as an overwhelming wave of dark emotions surged through him. Memories of hatred, rejection, and loneliness flooded his mind.
For a moment, his face twisted with rage and despair, his eyes dark with resentment. But just as quickly as the emotions came, they were dragged back down into the depths of his consciousness—into Fengxu's waiting hands.
Naruto stood still, panting heavily. The memories were gone, but the lingering weight of them remained.
Back within Naruto's subconscious, Fengxu grinned.
"Now you know, Naruto... You're not alone."
End of Chapter 2.
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